1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to determining placental volume.
2. Related Art
A healthy placenta is an important factor in producing a healthy baby. The placenta makes hormones which control the basic physiology of the mother so that the fetus is supplied with necessary nutrients and oxygen needed for successful growth. The placenta also protects the fetus from immune attack by the mother, removes waste products from the fetus, induces the mother to bring more blood to the placenta, and near the time of delivery, produces hormones that mature the fetal organs in preparation for life outside the uterus.
One serious pathologic condition that can affect the health of a fetus is a small-for-gestational-age placenta. When there is inadequate placental mass, the fetus may be starved of nutrients and other substances needed to support normal fetal growth. Although the placenta can often compensate for a reduced placental mass, there often comes a point where the placenta is too small to sustain fetal life. Unfortunately, there is often no warning as to when this crisis might culminate in fetal demise. Also, a fetus may develop relatively normally right up until a time at which the small placental mass fails to adequately support the fetus. Thus, the fetus may appear perfectly healthy, yet be on the verge of death.